Paintings :

Holly #1

So often artists focus on painting the red berries of hollies, but holly leaves are so interesting - stiff and waxy and spiky. They seem to hold a sort of tension inside them. The hard curves along the tough edges of the leaves break out into sharp points, almost as if to break some sort of uncontainable tightness. The holly seems to emanate a much different energy than the cheerful, lighthearted symbol of Christmas most people see at first glance.